1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to food processors. More particularly, the present invention relates to food processors having a reversible motor and blade combination.
Food processors appliances typically include an electrical motor that drives an impeller with blades disposed in a container for processing food items. These food processors generally have the capability of operating in a number of different modes to process a variety of foods with various impellers and speeds appropriate for the specific food being processed and specific to the desired consistency of the processed food. For instance, foods may either be chopped by rotating an impeller having sharp blades or foods may be ground by rotating an impeller having blunt blades.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art processors required that two impellers, one having sharp blades and one having dull blades. When it was desired to grind the food items in the processor, the user was required to install the impeller with blunt blades. Conversely, when it was desired to chop the food items in the processor, the user was required to install the impeller with sharp blades. Providing two impellers to the user was expensive and made the processor less convenient to use and store.
Other prior art devices resolved the problems presented by having two impellers by providing a single impeller with blades that were sharp on one side and blunt on the other. The impeller can be installed one of two ways, namely with either the sharp blades or the blunt blades contacting the food during rotation. Thus, the user must install the impeller in the desired direction. These dual purpose impellers, while removing the need for two different impellers, still require the user to physically remove, reverse and reinstall the impeller in order to switch between chopping and grinding.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a food processor having a reversible motor and a single impeller.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a food processor in which the impeller has blades having a sharp side and a blunt side.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a food processor in which the reversible motor is capable of operating at various speeds in both directions to achieve the preferred food consistency during both chopping and grinding.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieve by a food processor having a motor, an impeller rotatably driven by the motor, a controller for rotating said motor in a first direction or a second direction, and means for switching said controller either in a first mode for rotating said motor in a first direction, or a second mode for rotating said motor in a second direction.
The present invention is further directed to a food processor having a food container disposed upon a motor housing. The motor housing has a motor and a controller disposed therein. The motor has a shaft, rotatably driven by the motor, that extends from the housing into the food container. The shaft has a free end that is adapted to removably receive a hub of an impeller. The impeller is adapted to rotate in response to the rotation of the shaft. The food processor also has means for switching the controller to rotate the motor in a either first direction or a second direction. Thus, the food processor enables both chopping and grinding without any changes of the impeller.